My goal is to help you manage the balance between work and your family and personal lives. I'll focus on creative solutions to conflicting demands, new strategies for helping people juggle responsibilities, and new trends and developments.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Great tip from working mom

Last week, I soaked up some great advice from women executives at an event sponsored by Burger King Corp. One of the best tips came from Elsie Romero, mother of 2 daughters and general counsel for Restaurant Services Inc. in Miami (the purchasing agent for Burger King)

Elsie, an attorney, has that can-do attitude. When her oldest daughter entered first grade, she realized, doing it all (school, activities, homework and a career) was going to be tricky. She wanted some help without feeling guilty for asking. So she reached out to other parents in her daughter's class, some who work, others who don't. She suggested, "How about we take some pressure off and help each other - with no baggage attached?'' Then she sent out an e-mail, "I'm driving my daughter to Suzie's birthday party this weekend, let me know if any of you want me to take your child."

Elsie says the others quickly reciprocated, offering to take her daughter to the upcoming Girl Scout meeting or soccer practice. Now, her oldest is in sixth grade and the group still shares the driving, "We all have time constraints and have figured out a way to help each other," she says, "It gives us all some breathing room."

About this blog

Cindy Krischer Goodman writes The Balancing Act column for The Miami Herald. She has been a reporter and business columnist since 1994. The mother of three children, she brings her personal experiences to her beat. Cindy grew up in Miami and has a degree in journalism from University of Florida. Off the job, she exercises, reads, volunteers in schools, and cares for her children. Email her at cgoodman@miamiherald.com